Former President Donald Trump reiterated border security talking points at a rally in Tempe on Thursday.
Trump appeared at the Mullett Arena for the latest of several visits to Arizona this election season and spoke almost exclusively about the border, which is a topic that Trump focuses on often.
He said the United States is known as an “occupied” country under Vice President Kamala Harris.
“We’re a dumping ground. We’re like, we’re like a garbage can for the world,” Trump said.
This year, Trump has been urging his supporters to vote early. It’s a change in messaging for Trump who has claimed previously that early voting — and mail-in voting in particular — is not safe.
With less than two weeks to go before the election; Trump again urged the audience to vote early — or in any other way they like.
He touted his recent endorsement by the National Border Control Council.
Trump spoke for just over 50 minutes — which is much shorter in contrast to his last Arizona rally in Prescott Valley.
As at former rallies in Arizona, Trump described several crimes he said were committed by illegal immigrants.
One crime Trump described was the murder of two 16-year-old girls who he said were sliced into “pieces” by illegal immigrants who were caught by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. A spokesperson for Trump did not respond to a request for comment asking what crime that is referring to.
Two teenagers were killed with knives and baseball bats in New York in 2016, but one was 15 years old, the suspect was not arrested by ICE and the victims were not cut into “pieces.” It was before either Biden or Trump was president.
He pledged to outlaw sanctuary cities, give raises to Border Patrol agents, and deliver mass deportation of immigrants.
Trump also reiterated claims that if he had been president instead of Joe Biden, Russia would never have gone to war with Ukraine and Israel wouldn’t be at war with Hamas.
He pledged to make historic tax cuts for workers and small businesses, and to end the Green New Deal.
Trump criticized the “media,” which is also something he does frequently, saying broadcast reporters don’t move their cameras to film video clips that play on screens at his rallies.
“They’re just bad people,” he said of journalists. “They’re the enemy of the people,” he said.
Later in his speech Trump said reporters “are good people” but they’re controlled by “the left.”
Some outlets with video cameras didn't move them to the other screens, but others like C-SPAN and the New York Post did.
Other speakers at the rally included Arizona Congressman Eli Crane, Arizona Republican Party Chair Gina Swoboda, Republican Senate candidate Kari Lake and Arizona Congressman Andy Biggs.
Trump gave shoutouts to several Republicans in his speech, reiterating endorsements of Lake and former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio (who is not running for office).
Lake swiped at former President Bill Clinton, who was in Arizona campaigning for Democrats this week and called Lake “physically attractive.”
“I thought I was a little too old for him, doesn’t he like interns?” Lake said.
She said that when Republicans get elected, they’re going to use the CBP One app (which directs people to Customs and Border Protection services) to track down immigrants and deport them.
